Critic Reviews

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80

Game Informer Magazine

I liked how my achievements, whether in the arcade portion or Original mode, were tracked in the Status section. Here you can see what you've unlocked after getting a good score or advancing further in the story. Rewards include getting extra lives and other helping hands. All these additions won't better the arcade cabinet itself or expand your mind, but then again, PS2 owners now have their own 21-gun salute that's a blast.

That said, my problems with the first haven’t been corrected. Fine targeting can still be a pain with the analog stick; the game is not especially long or deep; and the different playmodes are still organized in a rather slapdash fashion. Not quite the perfect headshot, but a killer nonetheless.

Silent Scope 2 is fun while it lasts, but it's pretty short compared to most PS2 games. There are a few extra mission and training modes, but these mini games won't hold your interest for long. The only two-player option is via a link cable. All in all, I'd mainly recommend this to people who enjoyed the first game.

In the end, while Silent Scope 2 isn't a great game, it is a fun title that'll be enjoyed. But -and this is one big 'but'- with the release of Time Crisis 2 w/ GunCon 2, I see absolutely no point to purchasing Silent Scope 2. You may want to weigh in your options and rent both titles, but chances are the GunCon 2 will not be available along side Time Crisis 2. Silent Scope 2 does have many improvements over the first, and if this were the launch game we got last year, the score would've been at least an 8.0 or so. So in a way it's a bit too late to make up for the first title's wrong doings this year, because with the release of Namco's 'better in every way Time Crisis 2, Silent Scope 2 is...well...obsolete. Final verdict: Go get Time Crisis 2!

Rent Silent Scope 2 before you buy it. No offense to those folks as Konami, which makes some stellar games (Silent Hill 2, MGS2), but while Silent Scope 2 Dark Silhouette takes a unique angle on the light-gun game genre -- and it's fun and relatively engaging -- I personally would rather play Namco's Time Crisis 2, which is going to rock.

When the terrorists are dead, the hostages are rescued and Europe is safe once again, Silent Scope 2: Dark Silhouette is an easy game to form a conclusion around. It's a fun game to play but don't expect a great deal of substance or replay value from the title. For that reason, Silent Scope 2 is best recommended as a rental, since you'd have a hard time getting your money's worth out of a full purchase.

Silent Scope 2 is still a fairly enjoyable title. However, there really isn't anything that SS2 has to offer that the first game didn't. With a slightly trite and short game experience, and overly difficult bosses, you might want to think twice before making a purchase.

54

Gamezilla

If you absolutely loved the arcade version, don’t buy this game. You will be so disappointed that you will want to skeet shoot the disc itself. Hardcore “gun” gamers will also be disappointed, as the game itself is not very long nor is the interface much fun. A poor choice for translation. The only glimmer of a redeeming quality is the fact that you can finally use the I-Link cable. Too bad it’s on this game.

It'd be silly to demand that Konami release a sniper rifle controller for the PlayStation 2, as the cost would surely be downright prohibitive at best, and standard GunCon support wouldn't really work here. Considering how much of the game's appeal was based on the sniper rifle alone, removing it leaves behind a substandard game. In the end, the game's lack of difficulty and low replay value make the game worthy of a rental at best.

Silent Scope 2 has got more game than its predecessor with some updated touches and duel options, but in the end, that's not saying much. This is one port that went from arcade star to console dog. Heinous, dude.